I'm starting a PhD in a few weeks and will be travelling to Dunedin monthly and lugging around the desktop isn't really an option, so I'm in the market for a portable device. Not really interested in a proper laptop, as I don't think I'd get much use out of it since I'll have my desktop 98% of the time, so I'm really thinking netbook or tablet.

But to be honest, I'm not entirely sure which is the better choice.

Tablets have the cool factor, I love Android on my phone, and it'd be better and easier to read books/articles/comics on, and it'd make the regular commute to and from work more entertaining, but there's the extra cost and I can't imagine doing significant typing on it for a few days at a time.

Netbooks are cheaper, Windows is obviously very familiar (and I'd plan to dual boot Windows/Ubuntu), and typing must be easier, but obviously a little more difficult to read on than a tablet where it's easier to read things in portrait.

For those with tablets, is typing annoying? Do you use external keyboards at all?

just one advice - if you get a netbook get one with dual core processor and nvidia ion. otherwise you could be one of the most miserable persons on earth depending on how impatient you are or if you watch video clips

From my experiences in using a bit of both, I really reckon netbooks would be the way to go for now. The applications on a tablet, however great the integration is, cannot match the applications made for a PC. That's said, if you're only doing simple word processing and not, referencing, noting, highlighting, auto correct grammar, font size, font style. Then a tablet would be a VERY good choice since you only need words on your thesis right? Or if you need to reference EVERYTHING and double space, plus margining also don't forget Bibliography and searching the net for information aka multitasking. Then you really should get a netbook for portability. People get carried away by the good looks and smooth interfaces but neglect what is actually useful.

joker97: just one advice - if you get a netbook get one with dual core processor and nvidia ion. otherwise you could be one of the most miserable persons on earth depending on how impatient you are or if you watch video clips

Yeah definitely or the Acer 522 series/anything with an AMD C-50/E-50 HD processor

I have moved across the ditch. Now residing in Melbourne as a VOIP/Video Technical Trainer/Engineer.